


And One More Makes Five

by Geekygirl24



Series: Lightwood-Bane [1]
Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Bottom Magnus Bane, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, F/M, Fluff, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Mpreg, Protective Alec Lightwood, Protective Magnus Bane, Top Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:41:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25171771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geekygirl24/pseuds/Geekygirl24
Summary: Magnus stared into the cauldron. His leg bounced nervously, foot tapping against the floor, the sound echoing throughout the room.He never thought he’d be making this potion for himself.
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood
Series: Lightwood-Bane [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823536
Comments: 3
Kudos: 130





	1. Chapter 1

Magnus stared into the cauldron. His leg bounced nervously, foot tapping against the floor, the sound echoing throughout the room.

He never thought he’d be making this potion for himself.

Outside of his little laboratory, he could hear Rafael tormenting Max yet again, closely followed by Alec scolding them about running in the house.

“Come on, Daddy’s working remember? He doesn’t want to hear you two making all this noise!”

It doesn’t help Magnus’s anxiety with the situation.

Before he could even think about going out and ask them all to play in a different area of the home, possibly in their own rooms, Max piped up, clearly close to the door.

“Why is Daddy scared?”

“… What do you mean?”

“Daddy’s scared. He was pulling a face.” There was a brief pause, which was probably due to Max pulling the face in question.

“I… I don’t know.”

“Im’ma go ask!”

Just before Max could bang on the door, Alec chuckled. “No, no, no. I’m sure Daddy will tell us if it’s really important. Now, I believe it’s nearly time for dinner. How does a cheese sandwich sound?”

“Yeah!”

At the sound his two sons babbling eagerly to Alec, Magnus couldn’t help but feel a small weight lift off his shoulders. Maybe, just maybe, if the results were what he suspected, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.

He turned his attention back to the potion, pricking his fingers slightly and allowing a drop of blood to fall into the murky substance. From there, he pulled up a chair, fidgeting with his rings impatiently.

Was this unplanned? Yes, it was.

Were they careful? Maybe not as much as they should have been, but this only had a one in a thousand chance of happening. 

However, at the slight change in his magical aura, Magnus knew that something was different.

That that one in a thousand chance, actually happened.

The potion turned baby blue.

Pregnant.

Magnus relaxed back in his chair, putting one hand over his belly for the first time, knowing that he was definitely growing a tiny person now. Slowly, he moved over to the phone, calling up the one person he knew could help.

“Catarina.” He greeted the person on the other end of the line, “Is there any chance of an appointment… a private one?”

………………………………………………………………………………..

“So, you’re keeping it?” Cat looked thrilled as Magnus climbed onto the uncomfortable chair.

“Of course.” Magnus lifted his shirt up as Cat rubbed the cool gel onto it.

“And what has Alec said?”

Magnus winced, “I… haven’t told him yet.” He held up a hand, stopping her protests, “I will though, I promise.”

She seemed mollified by this and continued with the examination.

Apparently, Lightwood-Bane Junior had been hitchhiking for around 5 weeks now, and soon Magnus was taking home his very first pictures of Junior.

He was going to tell Alec, but there was something to be said about playing a little… game with the Shadowhunter. Alec had taken the boys out for the day and would be back at around five.

Plenty of time.

Making dinner (baby corn and carrots… just as a hint), Magnus came up with several back-up plans, in case Alec didn’t get his subtle hints.

At exactly five o’clock, Alec and the two boys came in, Rafael and Max instantly running to Magnus for a hug, Alec following on behind. “Hey.” He whispered, a soft smile, “You look… amazing!”

Another little hint. He was wearing one of Alec’s favourite outfits on him, complete with baby blue eyeshadow.

“What’s the occasion?”

Knowing that Alec was probably panicking over missing an anniversary of theirs, Magnus gave him a gentle kiss. “You’ll find out soon enough.” He then turned to the two boys, “Now, go and wash your hands and sit at the table please, for dinner.”

As the two rushed off, the kitchen timer dinged.

“Ah. “Magnus smirked, “The buns are ready.”

Spreading butter on them, he placed the plate in the middle of the table, taking a seat and allowing his husband and sons to tuck in. A few minutes passed, before Magnus nervously spoke up again, sipping at his virgin cocktail (This no alcohol thing was going to be difficult).

“So… how is it?”

Alec looked stunned for a few moments, mouth full of food. “Ummm… great!” he finally managed to force out, after swallowing.

Groaning internally, Magnus gave him a fond smile.

Maybe he should just tell him.

Before he could say anything, Max piped up. “Daddy, why were you in the lab all day?”

“Well…” Magnus waved his hand, summoning the folder that contained the ultrasound to his hand, before handing it over to his youngest (currently anyway), “... Open that, gently okay.”

Max did as he was told, gently pulling the print-out, only to frown in confusion. “I don’t get it?”

“Let me see! Let me see!”

As Max handed it over to his brother, it was clear that Rafael was none-the-wiser about the picture either.

“Why don’t you give it to Papa, hmmm?”

Rafael handed it over, and Alec’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Is this…” He stared at it for a few seconds, mouth agape, looking up at Magnus in disbelief, “… really?”

Magnus just nodded his head, as Alec stumbled to his feet, made his way over to Magnus, pulling the warlock into a hug.

“Daddy? Daddy, what’s going on?”

Alec pulled himself away, beaming at his sons, “You two are going to be big brothers. Daddy’s going to have a baby!”

“I’m already a big brother.” Rafael frowned, “Why does Max get to be one as well?”

Magnus chuckled, “Think of yourself as… the senior big brother.”

As Rafael straightened up at this, sending a smug smirk over to Max, Alec turned back to Magnus, placing a hand on the warlock’s mid-section.

“I love you.”

“We love you too.”

…………………………………………………………

Alec was running around the house like a chicken with his head cut off, cleaning surfaces for the third time that morning, despite Magnus offering to just click his fingers and make everything spotless.

Rafael and Max had taken refuge on the sofa as their Papa rushed around the house, not wanting to be caught up in the chaos.

“Alexander, calm down. Everything is going to be fine.” Magnus fondly called down the hallway to him, watching as his husband straightened out all the art on the walls.

“You know what my Mother is like.” Alec sighed, “I need this to be perfect.”

Magnus chose not to push the matter. It wasn’t like he had any parents he could tell… or rather, none that he would want to tell. Before he could say anything else, there was a knock at the door, and Alec turned a shade of pale Magnus had never seen before.

“Rafael, can you please open the door for your Grandmama?”

Rafael nodded, running down the hall and flinging the door open, eagerly wrapping his Grandma into a hug, before darting out of the way, narrowly avoiding being taken out by his younger brother.

“Hello my little darlings.” Maryse fondly returned the hug, stepping into the apartment, “I’m sure you two get taller every time I visit!” She then headed into the living room, where Alec and Magnus were waiting, “And how are you two?”

“We’re fantastic my dear.” Magnus couldn’t help but answer, still feeling like he was on cloud nine.

Maryse narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the pair of them, taking in their secretive smirks, “What’s going on?”

“Ummm…” Alec flushed, looking away, “… I- I decided to cook, and I actually think it came out really well. We’re just… really proud of me.”

“Yes we are.” Magnus quickly chimed in, “Tea Maryse?”

“That would be wonderful.”

“I’ll help!” Alec jumped to his feet, following Magnus into the kitchen, “I don’t know if I can keep this up for much longer!” he hissed, watching as Magnus brewed up.

“Alexander, if the children can do it, so can you.”

“And how did you manage to get them to keep it secret.”

“Chocolate.” Magnus smirked, “Lots of chocolate.”

…………………………………………………………………

“Let’s play a game.” Magnus announced after dinner, clapping his hands together, “Boys, why don’t you get it set up?”

Rafael nodded eagerly, pulling his brother into the living room. He knew exactly what to do.

“A game?” Maryse raised an eyebrow in amusement.

They all took a seat, Maryse and the boys on one sofa, and Alec and Magnus on the opposite.

“So, it’s like a mundane game called hangman.” Alec explained, gesturing at the cards in front of him, “You’ve got to guess the letters under these cards, and if you get it right, we flip the right card over. If you get it wrong, we add a card to the ‘body’”

“How… macabre.” Maryse sighed, “Very well.”

Turning her eyes to the cards and away from her son, she failed to notice how Alec tensed up slightly.

“Let’s start with… R.” Maryse began, watching as the second and last card were flipped over.

“A?” Third card.

“D?” Fifth.

“E?” Second to last.

…RA…D…………ER

A smile on her face, Maryse narrowed her eyes in thought. “… T?”

Eighth card.

“M.”

Sixth card.

The word quickly formed in her mind, and she frowned in confusion. “Grandmother?”

“It fits you. A Grandmother…” Alec paused, trying to remember how many children Izzy and Jace had with their partners, “… six times over.”

“Five times sweetie. Jace has the twins, Izzy has little Nate and you two have these two gorgeous boys.”

Alec couldn’t help but smile, “No… I was right.”

“Well, I know maths was never your strength but- “Maryse suddenly cut herself off, eyes darting to where Magnus’s hand was resting on his stomach, “- No.” She whispered, “The chances of that happening are- “

“- Nearly impossible.” Magnus confirmed. “We’ve never been an ordinary couple though.”

There was a moment of silence, before Maryse practically leapt over the table and pulled Magnus into a hug, feeling Alec and the boys join in.

“Do we know what you’re having yet? How far along are you? Any names planned yet? When are they due?”

Magnus was a little taken aback by the flurry of questions, “Ummm, no. About six weeks. No and March, April sometime?”

As Maryse started to coo at Magnus’s mid-section, Alec leaned over and kissed his stunned husband on the cheek.

“Okay?”

“Y-yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”


	2. Chapter 2

It was early as Alec woke slowly.

The room was still dark.

As his sleepy mind reminded him that he didn’t have to work today, Alec rolled onto his right side, eyes already seeking out his husband.

Every morning, he was reminded just how beautiful Magnus was.

Slipping out of bed, not wanting to disturb his pregnant husband (who hadn’t been sleeping well recently), Alec shuffled into some sweatpants and headed out of their bedroom. Muffled noises from the boys’ rooms, indicated that they were awake, and thankfully distracted by the full stockings that ‘Saint Nick’ had hung on the end of their beds.

“Boys?” He gently knocked on Rafael’s door, knowing that it was likely that Max had grabbed his stocking and run in here, wanting to see what Rafael got as well.

“Come in!”

When he opened the door, he only just managed to catch Max as the five-year-old leapt at him.

“Papa, Papa! Look what I got!”

“Wow, look at all those sweets Blueberry!” Alec chuckled, knowing how much of a sweet tooth his current youngest had, “You’re saving them for after dinner though, right?”

“…. Right!”

Alec was just going to ignore the wrappers that Rafe was now trying to hide.

……………………………………………………………………………..

After encouraging the boys to shower, Alec went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, keeping an eye on the boys as they carefully examined the boxes under the tree. 

No presents until Daddy was awake.

As the two boys tucked into their slightly-burnt pancakes (they had gotten used to their Papa’s cooking by now), Alec headed back into the master bedroom, finding Magnus in almost the same position he left him in…. except on Alec’s side of the bed. 

Walking around the bed, Alec placed his hands on either side of the warlock, gently bouncing it up and down until Magnus grumbled sleepily, pulling the covers over his face.

“And you say Rafe gets his hatred of mornings from me.”

A sleepy voice rose from the blankets, “I hate you.”

“No you don’t.” Alec gently pulled the covers away, smiling fondly as Magnus blinked up at him, those gorgeous cat eyes glazed slightly in sleep

“It’s Christmas, surely they can- “Magnus suddenly stopped, one hand flying to his protruding stomach, “- Forget it. Junior wants presents as well.”

Kneeling in front of him, helping the warlock into a seated position, Alec couldn’t help but place his hands against the bump, beaming as he felt a foot kick his hands. “Not long now.” He whispered, before moving to help Magnus to his feet, “Do you need help in the shower.”

“You helping me in the shower is what got us in this position in the first place.”

“…. True.”

……………………………………………………………………………………..

A little under half an hour later, Magnus waddled into the room, to find that Alec had already organised all the presents, setting them in different piles per person. The large tree twinkled in the light.

Magnus could still remember their first Christmas with Max, and how the baby spent half the time trying to grab the tree and pull roughly. It was only thanks to a little bit of magic that they managed to keep the tree from falling.

“Alright.” Magnus slowly took a seat on the sofa and clapped his hands together, summoning a drink for everyone, “Now, we can begin with the presents.”

As the boys eagerly ripped into their presents, Alec fetched Magnus’s breakfast from the kitchen, smiling as Magnus practically snatched the plate from him.

“The pancakes are a little bur- “

“- Perfect.” Magnus interrupted, as Max clutched his new teddy eagerly, pointing out that its’ horns were just like his, “They’re perfect.”

Together the pair watched as their two sons threw the wrapping paper all over the place.

“Do you remember when they were more interested in the boxes than the presents?” Magnus mused, “All that time wrapping it, and they just wanted to sit in a box.”

“You clicked your fingers and they were wrapped in seconds.” Alec chuckled, “Don’t pretend you sat there and wrapped them all individually.”

“Spoilsport.”

As they all opened their presents (including a few for the newborn), they ate a light lunch and continued to enjoy each other’s company, Magnus resting against Alec as the two boys played.

With the rest of the family planning to come around later, the boys were encouraged to put on their Christmas jumpers. It was probably the only time Magnus would ever allow such a lack of fashion in his home.

“Alright, are we all ready?” Magnus asked, wincing as the baby started up another round of kicking, “Remember, you both need to be gentle towards Aunt Izzy’s new baby, okay?”

“Yes Daddy!” “Yes Dad!”

……………………………………………………………………….

With Faith and Grace Herondale running all over the place, chasing Rafael and Max, plus driving their parents mad, baby Nathaniel sleeping in Simon’s arms, Raphael hovering anxiously over his shoulder, the Lightwood-Bane household was a place of chaos.

“When can we get rid of them?” Alec whispered in Magnus’s ear, dodging his husbands’ weak attempts to slap his arm.

“You were the one who wanted to invite them.” Magnus reminded him, “Apart from Luke and Maryse who are in Brazil for the holidays, you wanted everyone here.”

“Why didn’t you try and talk me out of it?”

“Lightwood Junior will appreciate the tradition though. One time of the year where we can all be together.”

“Lightwood Junior… really?”

Magnus shrugged, “Warlocks are meant to be infertile. The chances of this one having magic is non-existent. Hence, Lightwood Junior.”

Staring at him for a few moments, Alec sighed happily and kissed the warlock on the cheek. “Merry Christmas love.”

“Merry Christmas Alexander.”


	3. Chapter 3

It was two in the morning when Magnus woke Alec up.

It wasn’t an emergency or any dire situation… Alec just needed to get up.

Six months pregnant, the baby was causing havoc with Magnus’s magic… meaning that he couldn’t use it for trivial purposes with completely exhausting himself.

Which also meant that when he got food cravings, he couldn’t just summon what he needed.

Hence the reason Alec was now standing at the counter of a late-night takeaway store, freezing as he handed over money to the tired cashier (it must suck to be at work at this time), for a large pizza covered in olives, pickles and other gross combinations.

The number of drunk people lazily nibbling their own pizzas was astounding though.

He made it back to the loft in record time, handing his husband the pizza, watching as Magnus eagerly tucked into it.

“Don’t look at me.” Magnus mumbled, face turning bright red, “I- “

“- You are still beautiful.” Alec reassured him, “You will always be beautiful to me.”

“But I’m- “

“- feeding our child. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

A soft smile flashed over Magnus’s face, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

…………………………………………………………….

“You’re making holes in the floor.” Alec sighed fondly, looking up from his papers, voice loud enough for Magnus to hear it in the other room, “Just tell me what book you need, and I’ll get it.”

Magnus called back without a pause in his movement, “A book that has a spell to get this baby out of me?!”

Six months along with a prominent bump, Magnus had good days and bad days.

This was obviously a bad day.

“Why don’t you rest and I’ll make you a cup of tea?” Alec tried.

“Why don’t you try being pregnant and see how much you want to ‘rest’?!”

Definitely a bad day.

Sighing, Alec gave up on the paperwork, thankful that his other two sons were spending the night at his mother’s. “Alright.” He gently moved to intercept his husband’s pacing, taking Magnus’s hands in his, “What’s really wrong?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Magnus….” Alec raised an eyebrow, silently waiting for the correct answer

“… They haven’t kicked since last night.” Magnus looked concerned, one hand cupping the swell of his belly, “What if- “

“- They’re probably sleeping. Having a rest instead of keeping you up all night.”

Magnus nodded slowly, clearly not believing Alec, but not at the level of panicking yet. He nibbled at his bottom lip, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in his shirt.

He looks good.

Better than good.

When people talk about people glowing during pregnancy, it wasn’t an exaggeration.

Magnus looked… stunning.

Gently, Alec’s hand joined Magnus’s on the small bump, and ten seconds late, there was no mistaking the baby kicking, captive in its confined space.

“See… they were just having a rest.”

Magnus sighed in relief, forehead resting on Alec’s shoulder.

“We can do this.” Alec then whispered, “Just like with Rafael and Max. We’ll change his diapers, spoon feed him mashed up carrots, teach him how to ride a bike…” Alec shrugged, “… Shoot a bow and arrow and have a fantastic taste in fashion. The usual things.”

Magnus couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

Helping his children buy their prom outfits.

How they’ll share their secret crushes with him, and he’ll get to tell Alec so that they could be disapproving parents together.

“Come on.” Alec murmured, leading Magnus to the bed, “Let’s rest.”

……………………………………………………………………………….

They were now seven, almost eight months into the pregnancy, and it was clear that it was taking its’ toll on Magnus.

And Alec was definitely not hiding in his office, over at the Institute.

Nope.

Not him.

Signing off on a mission report, he glanced up when the door opened and Izzy strode inside, 4-month-old Nate strapped to her chest.

“Brother dearest!” She greeted, gently removing her hair from her son’s grasp, “I thought I should let you know, that I’ve just received a rather panicked call from my husband.”

Alec felt like he’d aged five years at the words.

Simon was at the loft, helping Magnus look after their other two boys.

What could have gone wrong in less than five hours?

“What’s happened?!” He pushed himself to his feet, already moving to leave.

“Apparently your very pregnant husband is minutes away from banishing one or both of your sons to the other side of the city.” Her voice was amused, as she pulled away her hair again.

Alec sighed, running a hand through his hair. The mood swings had been tame up until this month, and now, he was snapping and snarling at the smallest things, even refusing to let Alec share the bed with him, banishing him to the sofa.

He knew Magnus was frustrated, and honestly Alec was trying his best to make things easier for him, but he was at a loss more often than not.

“What did Simon say was going on?”

“Let’s just say that he sounded on the verge of tears.”

“That’s really not saying much.” Alec groaned internally, despite his words. Catarina had advised them that too much stress could cause complications, which Magnus had not responded well to.

And the Warlock especially didn’t appreciate the additional help.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

It didn’t take him long to get home, entering the large apartment, only to hear the shrieking laughter of Rafe and Max.

“Alec! Alec!” Simon came rushing over to him, “I swear I didn’t start this, but then Rafe called Max a ‘rotten blueberry’ after Max took one of his toys and it just… totally devolved from there!”

“It’s okay.” Alec couldn’t be mad. With Max and Rafe so close in age, arguments were too be expected… usually once a week at least, “Head back to the Institute, I’ll deal with this.”

As Simon nodded and moved to leave, Alec reached out and quickly stopped him.

“Simon… thank you.”

………………………………………………………………………….

“Max! Rafe! Come here right this instant!” Magnus struggled awkwardly out of the chair, as he yelled out for his children.

He was tired, swollen and uncomfortable, and his moods kept shifting.

Alec was spending more and more time away from home and at the Institute, and Magnus couldn’t blame him.

He planted his hands on his hips as his sons froze in place, caught in the act of fighting with their foam swords (thank you Uncle Jace), Rafe dropped his sword immediately, looking a little guilty.

Max took advantage of his brother’s distraction, by hitting him again, getting up to run away.

“Don’t make me chase you!” Magnus bellowed, only to sigh in relief as Alec emerged from around the corner, Max squirming in his arms, “Alexander…” He sighed in relief, “… Please tell you’re here to take the boys out to the park or something.”

Alec smiled softly at him, “What happened love?”

“They’re just… fighting and not stopping when I ask them to and- “Magnus cut himself off, covering his eyes with his hand, shoulders shaking slightly

“Alright.” Alec whispered, placing Max on the floor, beckoning Rafael closer, “Now, you boys know that fighting is bad, right? We don’t fight each other; you might hurt each other. Now, are you sorry?”

The pair of them nodded, eyes on the ground.

“Sorry Papa.” “Sorry Papa.” They apologised in unison.

Alec then pushed himself to his feet, holding out a hand and pulling Magnus closer, “Come here.” He whispered, wrapping an arm around the Warlock, “Max. Rafe. I want you both to go to your rooms and play quietly until tea. No more roughhousing, okay?”

“Yes Papa.” “Yes Papa.”

As the boys rushed off, Alec turned his attention to Magnus, who looked completely fed up.

“I am sorry, my love...tell me what is wrong.” He felt the rigid tension of those shoulders sag and shock coursed through him when they began to shake with silent sobs.

“Alexander…” Magnus crumbled against him, words coming in fits and starts as he sobbed, “…I h-hate feeling like this! I-I-I’m disgusting, fat, tired, swollen and uncomfortable all the time! W-why would you even want to be with me?!”

Alec was floored. 

Gently, he moved to press Magnus up against the nearest wall, kissing the slightly damp lips, putting as much love into it as he could. Magnus’s fingers curled into his short as he sobbed into the kiss.

He wrapped his arms around the warlock and held him as tightly as the prominent belly would allow. He stroked Magnus’s neck and hair, continuing to kiss him as his other hand rested against the bump.

Magnus had always been beautiful… but pregnant, he was radiant.

“You are so beautiful.” He whispered, continuing with the kisses until Magnus started to relax.

He led his husband over to the sofa, helping him to lie down as Alec started to massage Magnus’s ankles, his calves and the soles of his feet, rubbing the tingling pain away from them.

Magnus relaxed further, unable to stop the soft smile from appearing on his face.

“Thank you.” He whispered, as Alec looked up at him, “Thank you Alexander.”

“Anything for you, my love.”

Any frustration or hurt that remained, faded away at the softly spoken words, his world settling back into place. He was in the arms of the man he loved, their growing family was well and he was at peace.


	4. Chapter 4

Alec sighed as he rolled over, trying to avoid the sun coming in through their bedroom. Groaning he reached over to shut the alarm clock off, seconds before it could ring and shatter the blessed silence.

Not that it stopped Magnus from waking up next to him.

“Sleep well?” Alec murmured, knowing that these last couple months of pregnancy had been hard on the Warlock, Magnus often struggling to sleep through the night.

“Hmm, better than I expected.” Magnus whispered, watching Alec getting up and moving to his side of the bed to help him up into a seated position, capturing his lips in a quick, chaste kiss.

“I’ll wake the boys up, you have a shower okay?” Alec headed to the door, only for Magnus to grab his wrist.

“You’ve been letting me have the first shower for weeks, and whilst I do appreciate it, you need to take care of yourself as well.” Magnus gently pushed Alec towards the bathroom, “Go. I can manage breakfast and the boys.”

Alec hesitated for a moment, only relenting when his husband raised an eyebrow at him, almost daring him to argue. He held his hand up in surrender, “Alright. A quick shower and then I’ll help you with breakfast.”

“A long shower and then you can sit and enjoy a relaxing breakfast.”

There was really no point in arguing with Magnus when he got like this.

As Alec reluctantly headed into the bathroom, Magnus slowly made his way to his son’s rooms. Rafe’s room was empty, but Magnus wasn’t worried, as he made his way to Max’s room, smiling at the sight of the two boys curled up on the bed together.

Another nightmare then.

“Rafe, Max… time to wake up.” He whispered, running his fingers through Max’s hair, fingers bumping against the four-year olds’ tiny horns, watching as their eyes cracked open

“Where’s Papa?” Rafe mumbled, clearly used to Alec waking them up by that point. Max just rolled over, burying his face into his pillow in an attempt to get some more sleep.

“He’s in the shower, so it’s my turn to wake you up today.” Magnus whispered, as his oldest slowly sat up, shaking Max as he did so, who sat up with a whine.

“What’s for breakfast?” Max grumbled, “Can we have waffles?”

His youngest wasn’t a morning person, that’s for sure.

“Chocolate sauce as a topping?” Magnus asked, smiling as Max nodded eagerly, “And strawberry for you Rafe?”

“Yeah!”

They headed into the kitchen, Magnus resting one hand on his stomach as he rubbed it occasionally.

Forever grateful for Alexander teaching him how to use the waffle maker, Magnus got to work.

“Milk or juice boys?”

“Juice!” “Juice please!” They both cried out in unison.

As he was filling up the two cups, he felt a small pain in his lower back, wincing slightly only to brush it off as a false contraction.

When Alec walked into the kitchen less than ten minutes later, he smiled softly at the sight of his small family sitting at the table, Max eagerly talking about his dinosaur dream. Kissing Magnus on his forehead, he took his seat and tucked into his waffles.

Once everyone had finished, the boys rushed off to play as Magnus went for his own shower, the door open as Alec waited in the bedroom…. Just in case.

“I was thinking that Rafe and Max could spend the day with Jace and Clary.” Alec spoke up, voice raised so as to be heard over the running water, “Give us the day to ourselves?”

The water turned off as Magnus entered the bedroom, a large towel wrapped around his protruding stomach and waist.

“That sounds like a wonderful plan.” The warlock whispered, as Alec rose to meet him, “Just you and me and- “

Alec’s phone started to ring.

“- and the Institute.”

Alec cursed under his breath, pulling it out and answering. “Izzy. It’s my day off, this had better be- “He paused, listening to his sister on the other end, “- Right, okay. I’ll be there soon.”

He hung up and groaned, “We have a new case. Three werewolf families have been found dead. Suspected Circle activity.”

“Say no more.” Magnus whispered gently, “Go and be a hero darling.”

Alec pressed a quick kiss to his husband’s lips, collecting the kids to drop them off at his mother’s instead, knowing that they would need both Jace and Clary for this investigation.

…………………………………………………………………………………….

“Ragnor, what a surprise!” Magnus cheerfully greeted his oldest friend as the green-skinned man ported into his living room.

It had been less than half an hour since Alec and the children left and honestly, Magnus was glad for the company.

He moved to get up, only to wince, grabbed his back and giving up for the time being.

“Are you okay?” Ragnor rushed over, “Do you need me to call Catarina or your Shadowhunter?”

“My husband Ragnor, you can call him my husband.” Magnus waved off Ragnor’s concerns, “And it’s nothing. My back has been causing me some problems recently and without Alec to give me a back massage- “

“- No, no, no!” Ragnor held up his hands towards his ears, “That is far too much information for me.”

And with that, the conversation changed.

Half an hour passed, before a strange look flashed across Magnus’s face, making Ragnor pause in the middle of his rant over younger Warlocks in London making life difficult for him.

“Magnus? Are you okay?”

“M-My water just broke.” The younger warlock whispered, before clearing his throat, raising his voice a little, “Could you call Catarina and Alexander?”

Ragnor glanced down at the sofa, where a damp patch was forming underneath Magnus.

“Oh… Mother of Christ!” He yelled, jumping to his feet and practically running over to the phone, nearly tripping in his panic.

Catarina was probably not expecting the garbled shrieks of British alarm when she picked up the phone that morning, but she arrived promptly, stepping through the portal to see Magnus’s face screwed up in pain, arms wrapped tightly around him as he experienced his first real contraction.

“Alright, back to bed with you.” She gently ordered, before turning to Ragnor, “You need to try and get a hold of his Shadowhunter.”

“A-alec!” Magnus rolled his eyes, “You two can call him by his name, you know!”

Ragnor fumbled with Magnus’s mobile for a while, before finally managing to get through to Alec.

“Magnus? Is everything okay?” 

“It could be better.” Ragnor answered, “His water has just broke.”

“What?!”

“His. Water. Broke.” Ragnor explained a little slower, “So the baby is coming… get here now!”

“Contractions are about ten or fifteen minutes apart!” Catarina called out from the bedroom, which Ragnor dutifully relayed back to Alec.

“Please make me a portal.” Alec asked over the phone, “I’ll be right there.”

“Where are you?”

Alec told him and Ragnor waved his hand, creating a portal that Alec stepped through seconds later, rushing into the bedroom.

“Magnus!” Alec rushed to Magnus’s side, taking his hand, “How are you feeling?”

“Apparently, this level of pain is normal!” Magnus hissed, gripping his hand tightly, groaning when a strong contraction ripped through him.

“He’ll be ready to push soon.” Catarina warned the pair of them, “Magnus, when you start to feel the separate contractions become one continuous one, you need to tell me, okay?”

“Now!” Magnus whined, “Right now!”

“That’s good. I know it might not seem like it now, but I promise this is a good sign.” Catarina smirked at the vicious look Magnus shot her, “Now, when you feel the contraction pick up again, I want you to push.”

Almost immediately, Magnus felt his contraction pick up again prompting him to bear down, moaning loudly as the pain increased.

“That’s it! Keep pushing!”

“I-I’m trying!” Magnus snarled, pushing harder.

“Good job, I can see the head now, so just a few more pushes!”

At the next push, Magnus couldn’t stop the scream from breaking free, feeling the head pop free.

“Keep pushing Magnus.” Caterina ordered, supporting the infant’s head, “The shoulders are almost through.”

Magnus nodded, eyes stinging as sweat dripped into them, screaming hoarsely as the shoulders then popped free, squeezing Alec’s hand in a death grip.

“One more push and then it’s over, okay?”

Another nod, as he pushed for the last time, crying out with the pain, only to smile when he heard the shrill shriek of his baby.

“It’s a boy!” Caterina announced, “Ragnor come and- Stop being a wuss and come over here and help!”

Magnus tried to catch his breath, feeling Alec press his lips against his forehead. 

“You were amazing.” His husband whispered, as the baby was taken off to the side to be cleaned and wrapped in a blanket. A few minutes later, Caterina was walking back over, a baby wrapped in a pale blue blanket.

“Here you go.” She whispered, placing the baby gently into Magnus’s arms, “What are you going to call him?”

Magnus and Alec glanced at each, seemingly coming to an agreement, before speaking at the same time.

“Gideon.” “Gryphon.”

Silence.

“Maybe you should have talked about this BEFORE the child was born.” Ragnor sighed.


	5. Chapter 5

“Sorry.” Maryse apologised as the front door opened, “Max insisted on finishing Winnie the Pooh first.”

Alec couldn’t help but chuckle. It was a brave person indeed who came between Max and Winnie the Pooh. “It’s fine Mum, we needed a little time to decide the name anyway.”

“I thought you already had that planned?”

“Well…” Alec winced, “… we hit a slight snag with that, but it’s all sorted out.” He lifted Max into his arms, Rafael clinging onto his shirt, “Come on. Let’s go and meet your new baby brother.” 

They all headed into the master bedroom, where Magnus was still resting in the bed, a bundle in his arms.

“Daddy!” “Daddy!”

With the combined efforts of both Alec and Ragnor, they managed to prevent the boys from just jumping onto the bed and waking up the new-born (and possibly hurting Magnus).

“Gently, gently.” Alec softly scolded, “He’s too little to play with or jump around with just yet.”

Thankfully, the boys quickly understood, allowing themselves to be placed next to Magnus gently.

“What’s his name?” Max asked, clearly on the verge of bouncing up and down on the spot he was so excited.

Sending a quick smirk at Alec, Magnus answered, “Gideon Gryphon Lightwood-Bane.”

“… G.G!”

“Or G.G.” 

Rafe didn’t look too impressed at both the baby, or the new nickname that Max had bestowed upon it. “He’s not doing much.” He muttered.

“Well, that’s because he’s only a baby. He’ll grow and then he’ll be running around with you and Max in no time.”

And wasn’t that something to look forward to.

“Is he like you and Max?” Rafe asked, voice soft.

Magnus and Alec glanced at each other, before Magnus turned his attention back to the new-born. He certainly didn’t have any obvious marks that would argue that he was a warlock.

But with his partial demon blood, there was a very small chance that he would ever be a Shadowhunter.

“We’ll just have to see.” Magnus eventually stated, “Would you like to hold him Rafe?”

“… Can I?”

“Of course. Alec, can you sit behind him. Rafe, rest against your Papa, okay?” Once Rafe was supported by Alec’s presence at his back, Magnus carefully handed the baby over, “Support him here and here.” He moved Rafe’s limbs into position, “And there we go.”

Silence.

Rafe stared down at his new brother, who snuffled in his sleep.

“He’s not doing much.” He eventually stated.

“He won’t for a few months.” Magnus chuckled, “Wait until he starts to walk and crawl, you won’t be able to get rid of him.”

“I don’t know if I like him yet.”

Well, they did always say honestly was the best policy.

“You have a lot of time to decide for certain.” Magnus ran a hand over Rafe’s hair, neatening it out, “Now, how about we let Max have a turn, hmm?”

“Yes please! Yes please!” Max wriggled in place excitedly, allowing himself to be manoeuvred until his back was against the headboard, holding his arms out expectantly.

Thankfully Gideon didn’t seem too fussed about being moved from arms to arms, eyes still closed as he was then placed in Max’s arms.

“Woah…” The young warlock whispered, “… He’s so little!”

“Not that little.” Magnus grumbled, before smiling softly at the sight of the two youngest children, “What do you think?”

Max stared down at Gideon for a few moments more, before leaning over and gently kissing the baby on the forehead.

“Awww!” Was the resounding chorus; Maryse looking like she was about ready to burst into tears.

Now, whether it was the sudden influx of noise or the kiss on the head, Gideon’s face scrunched up as he started to sob softly.

“Uh-oh!” Max’s eyes widened in alarm, as he tried to shove the baby back into Magnus’s arms, “Didn’t mean to!”

“I know, I know.” Magnus took Gideon and pulled him close to his chest, “This is going to happen a lot I’m afraid. You should have heard how much you cried the first few weeks we had you.”

“Weeks?” Alec muttered, “Try months.”

“Oh… when can we play with him?”

Magnus chuckled, “Not for a while I’m afraid. He’s still a little too little for that.”

“Oh.” Max frowned, “So… he’s just going to cry a lot?”

“For a while yes.”

It was clear that Max was not as enamoured with the thought of having a little brother anymore.

………………………………………………………………………

“Do all warlock marks show up immediately?” Alec asked later that night, “Like with Max?”

“Some do… some don’t.” Magnus sighed, “We’ve… just got to be prepared that he won’t be either.”

“Not a warlock and not a Shadowhunter.” Alec thought to himself out loud, “Maybe Catarina can teach him about healing?”

Magnus looked over at his husband, unable to stop the soft smile from appearing on his face…. Not that he would ever stop it. “You’re already thinking that far into the future for him?”

“If he’s anything like you and me, he’ll want to help somehow.” Alec shrugged, “And being a healer is a good path in life.”

“…. Part of me can’t wait to see what he’ll become.” Magnus mused, “And part of me is a little afraid to watch him grow up. What kind of a world will be waiting for him when he does?”

“Whatever there is, we’ll be with him, right?”

“… I love you Alexander.”

“And I love you.”


End file.
